2017

Vietnam
commentary
U.S. Striking Just the Right Balance with Vietnam in South China Sea
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Nov 23, 2017
The Diplomat
The Trump administration has seized upon positive momentum from the Obama administration to elevate U.S.-Vietnam defense cooperation to new heights.
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Poverty
commentary
Fighting Poverty with Taxes
Patricia K. Tong
Nov 22, 2017
Council on Economic Policies
As the debate over tax reform continues, finding ways to help the most disadvantaged segment of the population should be considered. Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit and outreach to low-income populations could increase incentive to file or promote awareness about benefits and generate positive impacts in the longer term.
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Economic Development
commentary
Does the Annual Growth Survey Actually Make a Difference to EU Member States?
Jirka Taylor, Marco Hafner
Nov 21, 2017
E!Sharp
Much of the European Union (EU) budget follows Annual Growth Survey (AGS) priorities, but member states' budgets do not necessarily follow the country-specific recommendations. Doing so and addressing wider concerns about the AGS could help the EU and member states identify the benefits of the AGS.
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Racial Discrimination
commentary
Discipline Disparities and Discrimination in Schools
Nathan Barrett, Andrew McEachin @AJMcEachin, Jonathan Mills, Jon Valant
Nov 21, 2017
Brookings Institution's Brown Center Chalkboard
In the United States, black and poor students are suspended at much higher rates than their white and non-poor peers. While the existence of these disparities is not controversial, how to interpret the disparities is bitterly disputed.
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Civilian and Commercial Drones
commentary
Drones Could Deliver Change to Africa
Shira Efron
Nov 17, 2017
Inside Sources
Drones could transform Africa's urban and rural infrastructure and enhance its agricultural productivity. But deployment of drones on the continent faces technological, economic, social, and legal, and regulatory challenges.
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Border and Port Security
commentary
Broken Border or Broken Policy?
Blas Nunez-Neto
Nov 17, 2017
U.S. News & World Report
What does a secure land border look like? The U.S. government's inability to provide an answer has trapped America in a vicious cycle. Every decade, the perception that the U.S.-Mexico border isn't secure enough leads to big investments—with mixed results.
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Teacher Training
commentary
Why a Lack of STEM Teachers Could Jeopardise the Canada 2067 Vision
Julie Belanger
Nov 17, 2017
Canada 2067
The future of STEM learning depends heavily on a strong STEM teaching workforce. But education systems around the world face significant challenges attracting, training, and keeping STEM teachers.
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Global Climate Change
commentary
How Hot Is Too Hot? Rising Temperatures and the Workplace
Gulrez Shah Azhar
Nov 16, 2017
Mint
Climate change is here. Future extreme heat waves are a given and will likely grow in intensity, geographic reach, and duration. Plans must be made now to ensure survival of the poorest, to protect outdoor workers, and to adapt economic planning to what is increasingly becoming a hotter planet.
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Counterterrorism
commentary
America Is Great at Fighting Terrorism, but Terror Is Alive and Well
Henry H. Willis @HenryHWillis
Nov 16, 2017
Fortune
When terrorists adopt a strategy of pure terror, it's hard to prevent attacks like those in Nice, Columbus, London, Barcelona, or New York. Instead, strategies are needed to counter terrorism's ultimate aim—to instill fear—and to remove some of the incentives of potential attackers.
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Smoking Cessation
commentary
Can Vaping Help Smokers Quit? The Real Story from a Real Story
William G. Shadel @william_shadel
Nov 16, 2017
BASIS
Evidence doesn't support using electronic cigarettes to quit smoking. In fact, doing so could even lead to reduced chances of quitting. Evidence does show that other options work, such as nicotine replacement patches or gum combined with counseling strategies.
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Security Cooperation
commentary
It's Time for the International Community to Get Serious About Vulnerability Equities
Kate Charlet, Sasha Romanosky, Bert Thompson
Nov 15, 2017
Lawfare
Multiple countries around the world are likely discovering, retaining and exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities without a process to properly consider the trade-offs. This needs to change. It’s time for the international community to get serious about vulnerability equities.
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The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)
commentary
Why Africa Could Provide an 'ISIS Renaissance'
Antonia Ward
Nov 15, 2017
The National Interest
ISIS has been one of the most formidable and well-organized terrorist groups in history and it would be naive to assume that ISIS will simply cease operations in the face of recent losses. More likely, the group, along with its many followers, will attempt to disperse to a new base, and parts of Africa are likely targets for a new caliphate.
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Syria
commentary
The Future of Counterterrorism Efforts in Syria
Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke
Nov 15, 2017
Sada
It is time for the U.S.-led coalition to figure out what its next counterterrorism steps should be, even as it continues to work toward stabilizing the country and navigating the path toward a political settlement with the other major powers involved.
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Decisionmaking
blog
Exploring Trust, Leadership, and 'Analytic Courage'
Nov 15, 2017
Leaders in business, government, academia, and philanthropy gathered at RAND's headquarters in Santa Monica to pay tribute to the seven-decade relationship between RAND and the U.S. Air Force. Panelists discussed the importance of trusted advice to inform national security descisonmaking.
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Security Cooperation
commentary
How NATO Could Accidentally Trigger a War with Russia
Andrew Radin @andrewmradin
Nov 13, 2017
The National Interest
An increased NATO presence in the Baltics could lead Russia to feel a motivation for an invasion. U.S. and NATO deployments in the region should avoid this risk by taking seriously Russian beliefs about NATO capabilities in planning future deployments, and by pursuing transparency and negotiation in future deployments in the Baltic region.
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